Divided in Death (In Death #18)(24)

"Sure." Eve glanced at her wrist unit. Ten minutes was all Roarke was going to get.

In Caro's office, with its streamlined D and C center on top of an antique rosewood desk, Reva stood as rigid as a blindfolded prisoner awaiting execution. "I'm so angry with her, with you. With every f**king thing."

"Well, there's a bulletin. Why don't you sit down, Reva?"

"I don't want to sit down. I'm not going to sit down. I want to punch something, kick something. Break something."

"Do what you need to do." His tone was bored, a verbal shrug that caused embarrassed color to rise up and join the flush of Reva's temper. "That's between you and Caro, as these are her things. When you've finished your tantrum, you can sit down and we'll talk like reasonable adults."

"I've always hated that about you."

"What's that?" he asked and took a slow drag on his cigarette.

"That control of yours. That ice you use instead of blood in your veins."

"Ah, that. The lieutenant can tell you there are times when even my astonishing control and marvelously even temper fails. No one snaps our composure quite like someone we love."

"I didn't say you had an even temper, marvelous or otherwise," she said dryly. "There's no one scarier, or meaner. Or kinder." Her breath hitched, forcing her to take a gulp of air, or sob. "I know you have to fire me, and that you're going to try to do it gently. I'm not angry about that. I can't blame you for that. If it makes things easier, less messy, I'll resign."

He took another drag, then tapped the cigarette out in the little crystal dish he'd brought in with him. "Why would I need to fire you?"

"I've been charged with murder, for God's sake. I'm out on bail, the kind of bail that's going to require me to sell my house and nearly everything else I own. I'm wearing this."

She shot out a hand, her fingers fisted tight below the dull silver tracking bracelet on her wrist.

"I suppose it's too much to ask for them to make those things even remotely stylish."

At the comment, she could only stare at him. "They know if I walk outside to go to the corner deli. They know I'm upset right now because they can read my pulse rate. It's just a prison without the cage."

"I know it, Reva. I'm sorry for it. But the cage could be worse, a great deal worse. You're not to sell your house, or anything else. I'll lend you the money. Shut up," he ordered even as she opened her mouth. "You'll take it because I'm telling you to take it. It's an investment for me. And when this is cleared up and you're exonerated, I'll have it back. Then you'll work off what I consider a fair interest on the loan."

She did sit down, dropping onto the little love seat beside him. "You have to fire me."

"You're telling me how to run my own business now?" His tone was cold, deliberately so. "However valued an employee you are, I don't take orders from you."

She leaned forward, elbows on knees, and covered her face with her hands. "If this is for friendship-"

"Partially, of course. The friendship and affection I have for you and for Caro. It's also a matter of you being a very important part of Securecomp. And aside from that, I believe you're innocent, and trust my wife to prove it."

"She's almost as scary as you."

"And she can be more so, in certain areas."

"How could I be so stupid!" Her voice was wavering again, tears shimmering in it. "How could I be such a fool?"

"You weren't stupid. You loved him. Love's supposed to make us fools, or what's the point of it? Pull yourself together now. We don't have much time, for believe me, when my cop says ten minutes, she means ten. The extermination program and shield, Reva, the Code Red."

"Yeah." She sniffled, wiped her hands over her face to dry it. "We're close, nearly there. All the data's on the secured unit in my office-double passcoded and blocked. Backup copies in the vault, encrypted. The latest was hand-delivered to your office yesterday. Also encrypted. Tokimoto can take it over. He's the best choice. I can brief him on the areas he doesn't know, or you can. Probably best if you bump LaSalle up to second-in-command on that. She's as smart as Tokimoto, just not as creative."

"Did you ever mention the project to your husband?"

She rubbed her eyes, then blinked them. "Why would I?"

"Think carefully, Reva. Any mention of it, however casual?"

"No. I might've said something like I had a hot one and that was why I was putting in some extra hours. But nothing specific. It's Code Red."

"Did he ask you about it?"

"He can't ask me about what he doesn't know," she responded in a tone tight with impatience. "He was an artist, Roarke. His only interest in my work pertained to how I'd design and implement security for our house, and his work."

"My wife's a cop, and couldn't be less interested in my business. But occasionally, for form anyway, she asks about it. How was your day, what are you working on, that sort of thing."

"Sure, okay, sure. I'm not getting this."

"Did he, or anyone else, ask you about this project, Reva?"